Wednesday, June 8, 2011

DuoFest

I haven't blogged at all, really, about the improv troupe that I'm in. I think it's because if you really wanted to hear more about The Oxymorons, you'd either ask or you'd already know all there is to know because you would be following us on facebook or you'd be a regular visitor to our web site and I don't want to bore/overwhelm/annoy you with all that. Plus, I really don't like the idea of improv taking over my life. I love it and all, don't get me wrong. But there just have to be spaces in my life that have nothing to do with it, and so far, this has been one of them.

So now that I've said all that, I'm going to go ahead and ruin it. Sounds pretty typical, right?

I LOVE DUOFEST! Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

So a few months ago, The Oxymorons and our improv besties Don't Break the Streak did a workshop in Philly. Kim and I happened to do a scene together (although I think we kind of planned to do a scene together) and after it, Greg (my improv hero and the director of the workshop) pulled us aside and said we should try out for DuoFest, a national festival in Philly that featured improv duos. Regardless of the fact that we were not, as it were, a duo, we wholeheartedly agreed.

Cut to the day of the submission deadline, in a basement...Hot and Modest formed. We submitted, we were accepted, we performed at some shows, and last weekend, we rocked DuoFest. We met amazing people, we saw ridiculously talented improv, and we got free drinks. Also SWAG. And here are my most favorite parts of the weekend:

1. Shopping. I'm not even going to try to ignore that, because I'd feel like a dirty liar. But there was an Anthropologie, a Tiffany's, a Lush, and a MAC within two blocks of our hotel. 2. After parties. Improv people like to party. More importantly, they like to give us free drink tickets and then stumble around the upstairs portion of an Irish bar and talk about smart things. I like smart things, smart people, Irish bars, and alcohol. It was an implosion of awesomeness. 3. Meeting "fans." That probably makes it sound cooler than it was, but it was pretty cool that when we got there, a bunch of people had already seen our video clips and wanted to tell us how funny we are. And that's kind of a big deal, considering I met some of the funniest people I've ever encountered this weekend. 4. Maoz. This is my new favorite restaurant. It's vegan, it's fast, it's healthy, and it's open until 3am. I'm in love. Please go there, and please try the eggplant and hummus salad, especially if you'd like to have your life changed forever. 5. Spending 3 straight days being no more than 100 feet away from Kim and us not hating each other. I miss her now, because she is certainly at least several hundred feet away from me, and I don't have anyone to counter my blind optimism and sunny disposition with a sardonic quip or heavy eye roll. 6. Candy. Turns out I enjoy Mike and Ikes, and there was a quaint candy shop right on the corner of the street the theatre was on. I like candy. 7. Learning the intimate details of a stranger's first sexual encounter and then extrapolating upon them in front of a large group of other strangers. Thanks, Megan. 8. The Cascade, Rachel and Dave, Jessica Tandy, Michael Loves Greg, The Amie and Kristen Show...I could really just keep going on here naming duos that I am currently blown away by. I mean, just to name a few things, there was a fire set in a school (three times), a suicide plan on a wedding anniversary, awkward kitchen sex...who WOULDN'T love those things?9. Improvisers. They're great. They are different from theatre people, because they do not seem to want to claw your eyes out in order to get a part. In fact, they appear to be supportive, happy for you, and welcoming, and I like all of that. 10. Actually PERFORMING in DuoFest! I'll be honest, we were nervous. Nervousness, though, turns out to be an excellent diet. But people laughed heartily, we had people we love in the audience supporting us, and we had lots of nice things said about the performance itself (see above: supportive improvisers.)

So, thanks, DuoFest, for rocking my world. And for anyone who has missed Hot and Modest, you have a few options. a. Become our fan on facebook at www.facebook.com/hotandmodestb. Check out our video clips on youtube.c. Come out to the Comedy Zone and/or a fun show in Shippensburg on June 18 to see us live. d. All of the above.